Ivan Yates
Ceist:69 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will have her eligibility for free electricity allowance reconsidered as she is now living alone.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
To qualify for a free electricity allowance a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and reside alone or only with certain excepted categories of people.
The person concerned originally applied for this allowance in November 1992. However, her claim was disallowed as her daughter, who was in receipt of unemployment assistance, was residing with her then.
The person concerned reapplied for a free electricity allowance earlier this month. Her application is being investigated by a local officer of the Department. As soon as the local officer's report is received, a decision on her entitlement will be made and she will be notified of the outcome.
Liz McManus
Ceist:70 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the distress being caused by the refusal of his Department to grant a free telephone rental allowance to individuals who are caring for disabled people in their own home, particularly where the carer is an elderly person and requires a telephone to ensure that help can be obtained in an emergency situation.
I understand that in tabling this parliamentary question, the Deputy had a particular case in mind, details of which she has given to my Department. Therefore, in answering the question, I will be referring to the particular case and will also be commenting on the wider issue involved.
One of the conditions for receipt of free telephone rental allowance is that the applicant must reside alone or only with children under 15 years of age. A person may also qualify for the allowance if he or she resides with another person who is so permanently incapacitated as to be unable to summon help in an emergency. Medical evidence is required in support of this latter condition.
The person concerned applied for free telephone rental allowance in March 1992. The medical evidence which supported his application was referred to the Department's medical adviser who determined that his spouse was physically capable of summoning help in an emergency. In these circumstances, the application was disallowed.
This year the free telephone allowance scheme is estimated to cost some £16 million. This represents a 14 per cent increase over the actual cost of the scheme in 1992. The scale of this expenditure is a considerable commitment of Exchequer funds to meet an important social need. An extension to the free telephone rental allowance scheme could add significantly to the cost of the scheme. Any such extension would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I understand that the spouse of the person concerned will reach pension age of 66 years in July 1993. If she qualifies for old age pension at that time, she may also qualify for free telephone rental allowance in her own right on the basis that only her husband, who is disabled, will be residing with her. I have arranged for my Department to investigate her pension situation further to enable a decision to be made on her entitlements by the time she reaches pension age.
In the meantime, in the particular circumstances of the couple concerned, it may be possible to assist with the cost of the telephone rental by way of special support through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. The couple have been advised to contact the community welfare officer at their nearest health board office.
Tony Gregory
Ceist:71 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a widower (details supplied) in County Dublin will be granted the same entitlements as widows on the death of a spouse by enabling him to claim benefits on the basis of his late wife's contributions in the same way as a widow may so claim.
Entitlement to allowances such as free television licence or free electricity is contingent on being a recipient of a payment from this Department. As the person concerned is not in receipt of a qualifying payment he is not elegible for these allowances.
More generally the question of allowing widowers the same pension entitlements as widows on the death of a spouse by enabling them to claim benefits on the basis of their late wife's contributions is being examined by the National Pensions Board in the context of its proposals for a new national pensions system. I expect to receive the board's report shortly and the matter will then be given further consideration.
There may be a possibility in this case that the person concerned could be entitled to a means-tested old age non-contributory pension and the relevant form has been issued to him for completion. On receipt of this form consideration will be given to his entitlement to a pension and the ancillary schemes.
Jim Mitchell
Ceist:72 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, there are to improve the lot of widows living alone solely dependent on the widow's pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I am very conscious of the particular needs associated with widowhood and widows have been afforded special recognition in our social welfare system.
The rates of payment for widows compare favourably with payments to other groups and increases for dependent children in the case of widows are at the highest rates.
In addition, the contribution conditions to qualify for a widow's contributory pension are not difficult to meet in that a widow can qualify for a pension on the basis of three years insurance on either her own or her husband's insurance record.
A widow who is not eligible for contributory widow's pension can be entitled to a non-contributory widow's pension or a lone parent's allowance depending on their circumstances and means.
Widows over 66 are also eligible for the free schemes, subject of course, to the normal qualifying criteria. A living alone allowance for widows over 66 and an over 80 allowance are also payable where appropriate.
Any further extension of the free schemes or special increases to groups such as widows could have substantial cost implications which would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I am, however, very conscious of the particular needs of widows and I will bear this in mind in the context of further developments in the social welfare system in the future.
Andrew Boylan
Ceist:74 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant a free travel pass to widows who are in receipt of social welfare payments regardless of their age.
Free travel under my Department's scheme is currently available to every resident of the State aged 66 years or over and also to persons under 66 years of age who are receiving a social welfare type invalidity payment.
Any extension of the free travel scheme has financial implications for my Department which could be considered only in the context of available resources. I might add that the cost of the free travel scheme this year is estimated to be almost £30 million.